Easy-open sealed container

ABSTRACT

A case has a back and a cover provided with sidewalls surrounded by outwardly extending flanges at their free edges for engaging a flexible sealing gasket between the flanges. Surrounding the gasket is a clamping wire that is bent to form spaced loops extending inwardly over the case flanges and pressing them toward each other to clamp the gasket between them. Connected to one end of the wire is means for pulling it outwardly away from the case so that the cover can be removed.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent Inventor Layton A.Wise

WuhlngtomPn. Appl. Nn 6,748

EASY-OPEN SEALED CONTAINER It is among the objects of this invention to provide a sealed container that can be quickly and easily opened.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front or top view ofthe sealed container;

FIG. 2 is a side view;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view, partly in sectron;

FIG, 4 is a cross section taken on the line lV-IV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a detail showing the sealing gasket pulled away from the case.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, a rectangular case is formed from a shallow back or base l and a deep cover 2, although their relative sizes could be reversed or both could be the same size. The base and cover are provided with sidewalls surrounded by outwardly extending flanges 3 at their free edges. Inside the case and spaced from its sidewalls there may be a rectangular canister 4 containing a carbon-dioxideabsorbing and oxygen-producing chemical, such as potassium superoxide. The canister is provided with end lug 5, by which it is secured to the base, from which the canister extends well into the cover.

One end of the canister, which is the upper end when it is in use, is provided with a combined inlet and outlet port 7, to which one end of a flexible breathing hose 8 is connected. The opposite end of the canister is provided in its sidewalls with openings connected to a pair of breathing bags (not shown). The hose and the breathing bags normally are folded into the case in the spaces between the canister and the case.

In order to seal the case so that the chemical in the canister will not deteriorate, a flexible sealing gasket 10 is disposed between the case flanges in engagement with them. The case is held closed, with the gasket clamped between the flanges, by means of a clamping wire that surrounds the gasket. The wire is bent in a more or less zigzag fashion to form a plurality of longitudinally spaced loops l1 that extend inwardly over the flanges and press them toward each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the loops along one flange are staggered relative to those along the other flange and are integrally connected with them by straight portions I2 of the wire extending across the outer surface of the gasket. Preferably, these straight portions are perpendicular to the edges of the gasket. To help retain the wire in place, it is preferred that the gasket-engaging surfaces of the flanges be convex transversely, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the flanges form retaining channels into which the wire loops project. The two rows of loops have to be sprung apart somewhat in order to apply them to the case, so they press the flanges toward each other and tightly against the gasket.

It will be seen that in order to open the case, the clamping wire must be removed. 'This is done by pulling outwardly on one end of it to strip the loops away from the case flanges. For this purpose a pull tab 13 may be fastened to one end of the wire. It can be a strip of metal that is looped at one end around one of the straight portions l2 of the wire. Since low air pressure within the sealed case, which may be desirable, may make it difficult to open even after the clamping wire has been removed, provision is made for breaking the seal by fastening the opposite end of the wire to a lug 14 projecting from the gasket. The wire may be hooked through this lug. After the wire has been stripped off the case flanges, a further pull will pull a short portion of the gasket out from between the flanges and thereby break the seal, as shown in FIG. 5. It is obvious that the case can be opened in this simple manner in only a matter of seconds.

I claim:

l. A sealed container comprising a case having a back and a cover provided with sidewalls surrounded by outwardly extending flanges at their free edges, a flexible sealing gasket between said flanges in engagement therewith, a clamping wire surrounding said gasket and bent to fon'n a plurality of longitudinally spaced loops extending inwardly over said flanges and pressing them toward each other to clamp the gasket between them, the loops along one flange being staggered relative to those along the other flange, and means connected to one end of said wire for pulling it outwardly away from the case to pull said loops o said flanges so that the cover can be removed from said back to open the case, the opposite end of said wire being secured to the gasket to enable a portion of the gasket to be pulled out from between said flanges after the loops have been pulled of the flanges.

2. A sealed container according to claim l, in which the gasket-engaging surfaces of said flanges are convex transversely thereof so that the flanges form channels receiving said loops, and the loops along one flange are integrally connected with the loops along the other flange by straight portions of the wire extending across the outer surface of the gasket. 

1. A sealed container comprising a case having a back and a cover provided with sidewalls surrounded by outwardly extending flanges at their free edges, a flexible sealing gasket between said flanges in engagement therewith, a clamping wire surrounding said gasket and bent to form a plurality of longitudinally spaced loops extending inwardly over said flanges and pressing them toward each other to clamp the gasket between them, the loops along one flange being staggered relative to those along the other flange, and means connected to one end of said wire for pulling it outwardly away from the case to pull said loops off said flanges so that the cover can be removed from said back to open the case, the opposite end of said wire being secured to the gasket to enable a portion of the gasket to be pulled out from between said flanges after the loops have been pulled off the flanges.
 2. A sealed container according to claim 1, in which the gasket-engaging surfaces of said flanges are convex transversely thereof so that the flanges form channels receiving said loops, and the loops along one flange are integrally connected with the loops along the other flange by straight portions of the wire extending across the outer surface of the gasket. 